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Housing waiting lists treble in parts of Essex
11th January 2008
New research produced by the National Housing Federation has shown that 29,538 households are on housing waiting lists within the county of Essex – The highest in the East of England. In most parts of Essex housing waiting lists have more than doubled in the last five years, and in Brentwood and Chelmsford lists have trebled.
Within the East of England over 135,000 households are waiting for a suitable home.
The report predicts even more misery for those wanting to get a foot on the property ladder, with an average house price of £223,89 for the County, rising to £314,432 in Epping Forest. Its proximity to London encourages commuters to buy homes out of the city, pushing house prices far out of reach of local people, forcing more and more people to seek housing help.
Despite a period of lower house price inflation, which will bring house prices back into line, forecasters estimate a housing price crash is unlikely, and they predict further house price gloom for the housing market in the region. Indeed predictions show that house price inflation in the East will rise above the national average every year from 2009 - 2012.
Hometruths East of England : The real cost of housing 2007-2012 warns that more and more people are left struggling to find a home of their own, with no sign of hope for the future.
Further research shows that:
• Families in 9 of the 12 Local Authorities in Essex will need to earn over 10 times their annual salary to afford a home.
• House prices increased by 295% in the East of England, in the period 1996 – 2006, the third fastest increase of any region in the country
• In over half the local authority areas in the East of England, house prices have more than trebled in the last 10 years
• Even at the cheapest end of the market, homes cost 7 times median regional incomes.
• 26,600 new households are expected to form in the region each year to 2026
• For every two new affordable homes built in the region last year, one existing home was lost through Right to Buy.
Gina King, Head of Region, National Housing Federation said:
‘With house prices in the region set to rise faster than anywhere else in the country over the next five years, we face an unhappy prospect of longer waiting lists, more overcrowding and more adult children unable to move away from the parental home.
Figures tell us that high demand from a fast growing population, and a continued under provision of new housing supply will maintain pressure on an already over inflated housing market, and this will mean that house prices will inevitably keep on rising.
Overall housing supply is running 25% below the level required, while social housing provision is only half what it needs to be. We welcome the recent Government announcement of £712 million for new housing investment in the region. We recognise that this will produce an average of 8,000 social homes a year to 2011, but it is still represents less that 75% of the homes needed.’
For further information please contact Dawn Cummins, 07860 168639, dawnc@housing.org.uk
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